The Blizzard Spur is a full on dedicated powder ski. Its 124 mm under foot, has a specific left and right ski with design elements taken straight from surfboards. The shape of the ski is based more off hydro-dynamics than traditional ski design as Blizzard’s engineers feel true powder reacts more like water than anything else. The Spur is only available in a 192 cm length and uses a whole slew of technology like Carbon Flipcore DRT (which uses a partial metal laminate) and a light, yet strong wood core made of Pauwlonia, Balsa, Poplar, and Beech. Although we haven’t yet had a chance to test the Spur in deep powder conditions, our testers couldn’t resist trying them out in the spring slop that formed at the end of one of our test days.
Steve Sulin accurately referred to the Spur as being a “powder slayer”. He was pleasantly surprised by how manageable they were, commenting that they felt “quicker and more nimble than expected.” The abundant rocker, relative light weight, and asymmetrical early taper are certainly the design factors responsible for this maneuverable nature. For being such a long, wide ski they’re impressively easy to throw around. Steve also added that he thought they are “easier to ski than the past model.”
Mike Aidala had a blast skiing the Spur even though we didn’t have traditional deep powder conditions. The first thing he said was simply, “the Spur rips!!” Mike found the Spur to be a “super playful and slarvy big mountain ski that was very impressive in its 192 cm length.” He went on to comment on how user-friendly they felt. When you first look at them you wouldn’t expect them to be that approachable. With a blacked out graphic and being a 192 cm ski they look pretty intimidating, although according to Mike “the Spur felt very friendly.” He also added that despite the lack of powder, “it performed great in the late day spring chop.”
Mike Thomas has a knack for accurately describing a ski and who it’s best for. He was impressed by the Spur in a similar way that Steve and Mike were and commented that although they look pretty wild, they’re more straight forward than you’d expect. He commented, “It skied more like a ski than I expected.” Again, Mike of course wasn’t able to put the ski to the test in deep powder, but he did note that it’s “actually fun on spring slop. I can only imagine, but I’ll bet it would destroy powder and crud.”
Mike went on to describe who he thinks the ski is best for and we think his response is pretty spot on. “Best for a skier who knows this ski is a good choice. If you have to ask, it isn’t for you.” We think this makes a lot of sense. The Spur is a very unique, very dedicated powder ski. It looks like a surfboard when you put the two skis together and has a slarvy, surfy feel that certain skiers will love. If you’re looking for a high speed, charger of a big mountain ski, maybe consider the Bodacious, as the Spur is more of a slash, smear, surf type of powder ski.
